How Google Takes the Fun Out of Lunchtime for its Employees

The internal Google canteens are trying to assert a bit of mind control over staff, by employing supermarket-style tactics that want to affect the food choices it staff make. Hiding the chips behind the salad is but one method it uses to stop staff fattening up on free lunches.

A guilt-inducing sign in the New York office apparently encourages diners to take a smaller plate, as smaller plates usually mean smaller portions unless you really stack it up. The salad bar has been thrust into the middle of the canteen too, as psychological research suggests people tend to load up on more of the first thing they see when faced with a buffet, plus fizzy drinks and sweets are hidden from view behind opaque glass.

And if you want a pork pie, they're kept outside in a locked safe guarded by security staff. [Business Insider]